I hope you like zombies because that’s mostly what this episode is. That and rich heiresses. It’s episode 3, titled “Kidnapping!? The Targeted Jumbo Jet” and it probably won’t shock you that the episode begins on a large passenger plane off the English Coast. The Strait of Dover, technically.

Peekaboo

The plane heads through some thick clouds full of purple lightning and Blood is flying alongside. That plane is going bye bye.

Read on after the jump.

Swiss Family Cab

Over in Japan, Shuta searches for Cab in the woods by the Autobots’ new base and comes across a massive treehouse that Cab built himself in, I dunno, a day? Instead of living in the dorms, Cab insists on living outside. I hope he at least uses indoor plumbing but I tend to doubt it.

Friends!

Then, because he’s such a good friend, Cab drops behind Shuta and holds a goddamn knife to his throat! Cab’s parrot is kind of a bitch, rubbing it in that Cab “won.”

The two little boys waste our time talking about how people need to stand up to the Decepticons/Destrons. I don’t know why they feel like they can make a difference.

Lander is the “stylish” one.

Back at the Autobot base, Hawk is looking into the disappearance of the Mont Porte jumbo jet, and receives a video call from Lander, who says that no trace of it has been found. It’s kind of funny to think of how cartoons used video calls all the time back then but in the late 80s there really was no such technology. Now anyone can do it with Skype or Facetime basically for free (but now we mostly just text – Vincent).

Diver’s yearbook photo.

Hawk is positive that the Decepticons did it, same as Diver. Actually, Diver just says he suspects the Decepticons, but c’mon. Who else is it gonna be? Diver reports that a second plane has been attacked near Corisca. Diver sure is dumpy. Anyway, this plane crash landed instead of getting abducted.

Bum to bum!

The Pretenders decide to head for the accident site to help. Cab and Shuta beg Metalhawk to take them along. He’s basically their legal guardian but he’s like, “sure, whatever.” However, instead of letting them fly with him, since he’s a jet, he books them tickets through a commercial airliner! Hawk must be pretty rich or he just can’t stand being near Cab and Shuta.

Stating the obvious.

Metalhawk meets with Diver who is impressed that Hawk came quickly. These guys make up for any top speed by wasting time talking about their top speed.

Get used to her.

Meanwhile, in the hospital are the folks from the plane crash including a young girl named Minerva. Her father is Mont Porte’s ambassador to Japan and her parents are laid up but she’s pretty much okay. I’m very curious about the type of accident that puts people in the hospital but they’ll all be okay. Any explanation will do. Just give me something.

Very convincing. Idiot.

Diver puts his thousands of years living as a human to use and makes up the least convincing lie ever, that he is a government investigator. Fortunately, Minerva is too dumb to catch the lie and decides to talk with them.

Come sit with us, little girl.

She tells them about seeing a monster flying beside the plane, thus confirming for the Autobots that it was the Decepticon Pretenders that got involved. At least they aren’t just assuming the Decepticons did it and going from there. These Autobots are slightly more reasonable than the Headmasters.

Zombies in a Fountain!

So then, over in Rome? A bunch of zombies pour out of a fountain. Okay, to give it some context: Blood, Gilmer and Dauros turned living humans, from the first flight they abducted, into Destroids. They’re supposed to be stronger than the ones they made out of corpses last week. Kids TV, everybody!

Pretty sure others could’ve done it too.

Blood decides this is the perfect time to brag about stealing that first plane. But that opens the doors for Dauros to scream at him for allowing the second plane to escape. Sustained. Blood opened the topic up so it’s valid for cross-examination.

This episode sponsored by the Tourism Board of Mont Porte.

Gilmer explains to his fellow Decepticons what they should already know: that they are searching for Mont Porte’s famous Nobel-Prize-winning biologist, Professor Blanieux, to exploit him and make even better Destroids. These guys are really hung up on making Destroids. And that’s fine. But remember, they also have an army of Seacon robots.

He could fart out of his hand!

Lander, Phoenix, Cab and Shuta all finally arrive in Corsica and the TV news lets them know about the Destroids in Rome. The Autobots race over there, get there that night and use their knockout gas on the Destroids. Hmm? Oh, yeah, they all just have gas hands if they need it. Seems like an odd tool for a robot to need against a Decepticon but you can’t fault them now when they’re actually using it.

Teamwork!

The Decepticon Pretenders are spying on the Autobots from a tower above but no one notices them. They’re just giant monsters. Hard to notice.

Robots not bothering with disguise!

Lander and Diver check out the tunnels but don’t find any clues. If you want a job done right, let the authorities handle it and leave the Autobots out of it.

Nice bow tie, Pee Wee.

Back in Corsica, Cab and Shuta meet Minerva and try to show off. To her credit, she ignores it all and just wants to know more about the big monsters.

Only the shabbiest hospital for you, Professor!

Hawk returns to Corsica and talks with Minerva’s father, who intends to complete his trip to an academic conference in Japan with Professor Blanieux the next day. He doesn’t believe in monsters. Pretty sure he didn’t see anything.

Guess everything’s ok.

So the family and the professor all get on their flight. Hawk requests that he and Phoenix be allowed to accompany them, and the ambassador allows it. I’m not clear on whether the ambassador is aware of the fact that Hawk and Phoenix are massive robots. He might just be way too friendly.

Explosive decompression? Pfft!

Hawk, Phoenix, Cab and Shuta join the flight to Japan, Hawk almost immediately spots a crackle of purple lightning in the clouds and sees the outline of Blood. He and Phoenix “Suit On.” Minerva is completely stunned, then really angry at Shuta and Cab for not telling her about them. So yeah, I guess the ambassador just let two strangers fly with him because they were polite. The Autobots then open the emergency exit and somehow it doesn’t rip all the passengers out into the open air because reasons.

Legit terrifying.

Somehow the plane’s flight attendant has been transformed into a Destroid. Cab and Shuta hang on her to stop her from bringing the plane down. Phoenix and Metalhawk engage in a dogfight with Blood outside. How the Destroid stayed unrecognized while the plane boarded, taxied and lifted off is best left unanswered because there is no answer.

Badass name for a wimpy sea creature.

Blood gets reinforcements in the form of two Kraken Seacons which pop up out of the ocean below. Phoenix and Metalhawk shoot them down pretty easily.

I’ll get you next time, Gadget! Next time!

Blood metaphorically shakes his fist at the Autobots and flees. Presumably, the Decepticons will now stop stealing planes? I don’t know. I guess they could go straight for another plane but they probably reason that Professor Blanieux is being watched by the Autobots, so it’s more trouble than it’s worth. This show makes you earn the logic. You gotta think it out for yourself.

Pulling a Superman.

Cab and Shuta keep the Destroid from murdering the pilots, but the plane is in a nosedive. Phoenix and Metalhawk fly under its wings and lift it on their own backs, somehow not tearing the wings right off the plane.

Afterwards, the Autobots apologize for lying to Minerva, but she forgives them since they did save her and all. She says she’s going to live in Japan with her parents, so Cab and Shuta invite Minerva to attend the International School with them. That’s an interesting school. Let anyone who shows up come to school whenever they want. Professor Blanieux is also said to have healed all the Destroids and so everything’s back to status quo! Yay!

About Chris Piers

Post navigation

This show isn’t the greatest, but it would have made a decent import if they’d have aired in the U.S.

tom david johansen

so Destrons are zombies or robots?…or maybe…zombots?

Chris Piers

No, the zombies are called Destroids. In Japan they called Decepticons “Destrons” and Autobots were “Cybertrons.” It’s a bit confusing. I’ve stuck with calling them Autobots and Decepticons.

Chris Piers

Definitely. I think they could’ve kept the same voice actors for Headmasters and then when this came through it could’ve revitalized interest. The interest remained high in Japan and they got higher-end versions of the toys (see the Binaltech recap for more on that).